Advanced Driving Hub

It's a Lightmare (look up the site).

I could rant for hours. Modern lights are just too bright. Combine that with aging and it is no wonder so many people hate night driving riding.

I despair when I see yet another bike festooned with auxiliary spot lights (looking like some upto date version of the Mods favourite form of transport) or riders riding on main beam all the time.

If you moan on any driving/riding forum you are seen as an old git who should get their eyes tested. Yes, getting eyes tested is important but people only think about how well they can see with their F.O. superbright lasers, with no worry about dazzling others or the pedestrians/cyclists that are hidden in their glare.

To answer your question, all you can do is look to the nearside and slow down and take time to adjust once the vehicle has passed.

Modern multi element adaptive lights are a major step forwards. They will shine either side of a car you are following, or down the nearside kerb in the face of oncoming traffic. They are still an expensive extra on premium cars but one I will probably pay for on my next new car - called pixel led headlights on a jaguar.

Meanwhile, use main beam every moment that you won't be dazzling anyone, remember what you saw before you had to dip, and slow down to match your speed to the vision.

waremark wrote:Modern multi element adaptive lights are a major step forwards. They will shine either side of a car you are following, or down the nearside kerb in the face of oncoming traffic. They are still an expensive extra on premium cars but one I will probably pay for on my next new car - called pixel led headlights on a jaguar.

Good luck getting those fixed out of warranty Give it a few years and a failing headlight will be enough to write off a car.
(I should be glad really, since more gratuitous electronics is most likely propping up my job)

jont- wrote:
Good luck getting those fixed out of warranty Give it a few years and a failing headlight will be enough to write off a car.

I read that the Leon' LEDunits are £1k each to replace.

Micra headlight £50.00 new, £1000 would buy me a whole car, ok 2nd hand but.... Just upgrade the H4 bulbs, simples.

vanman wrote:
Just upgrade the H4 bulbs, simples.

If the lens is cr@p you'll just get brighter poor lights.

Similar to when people use Xenon kits or LED bulbs but it puts the light source at the wrong point.

According to the Cupra forum, the the owners manual says:

"Full-LED headlight system*
Full-LED headlights handle all light functions
(daylight, side light, turn signal, dipped
beam and route light) with light emitting diodes
(LEDs) as a light source.

Full-LED headlights are designed to last the
lifetime of the car and light bulbs cannot be
replaced. In case of headlight failure, go to
an authorised workshop to have it replaced.

Horse wrote:According to the Cupra forum, the the owners manual says:

"Full-LED headlight system*
Full-LED headlights handle all light functions
(daylight, side light, turn signal, dipped
beam and route light) with light emitting diodes
(LEDs) as a light source.

Full-LED headlights are designed to last the
lifetime of the car and light bulbs cannot be
replaced. In case of headlight failure, go to
an authorised workshop to have it replaced.

So if they're designed to last as long as the car, they'll give you a warranty that long? Or when it fails that's the end of the lifetime of the car?

jont- wrote:

Horse wrote:According to the Cupra forum, the the owners manual says:

"Full-LED headlight system*
Full-LED headlights handle all light functions
(daylight, side light, turn signal, dipped
beam and route light) with light emitting diodes
(LEDs) as a light source.

Full-LED headlights are designed to last the
lifetime of the car and light bulbs cannot be
replaced. In case of headlight failure, go to
an authorised workshop to have it replaced.

So if they're designed to last as long as the car, they'll give you a warranty that long? Or when it fails that's the end of the lifetime of the car?

That was the question posed in that thread. If they're going to put it in print ...

An intermittent headlight on an M3 cost me over £1k in 2007 - exorbitant but the only out of warranty repair in the 5 years I had the car. Apart from that I cannot remember having a light failure or changing a bulb in the last 20 years.